Corona Diaries

Tori

“I teach exercise to the older adult and in March my class participants were told to go home and stay home!”

Background Information

Female, aged 45-54, Exercise Teacher, London, White, Married.

September 2020

Getting back to exercise class? It has been an emotional roller coaster and it seems that, at the time of typing, 26th September, we are 'safe' enough to carry on. I teach exercise to the older adult and in March my class participants were told to go home and stay home!

I was so relieved when the Government told us all to stay at home as the decision to close my classes was made for me, reopening was a different matter. I had to find a new home for a class I started 20 years ago as the hall was no longer financially viable as under social distancing I could only fit in half the class participants. I was not going to let social distancing close a class! I had been reading Government guidance from June, so by the time, my halls were ready to open, I was mentally prepared to return to teaching.

It is so important to ‘get back’ as for months people have been in isolation- not everyone wants to run round the park- some want to dance! COVID 19 took them away from friends and the exercise class what kept them fit, mobile- physically and mentally challenged. Social interaction is one the things most missed- and when coupled with good exercise and music it is a combination that ticks all of the boxes.

Getting back to face to face teaching was not as stressful as I had anticipated, secure in my knowledge of the guidance and having met the hall management I knew it was the right thing to do and my class participants, aged 65-94 were asking for a class. I rehearsed my 'cleaning' routine as if it was a demonstration piece, so I knew what to do and in what order and in early September, I hosted a free 'welcome back session'. It was important for us all to see and feel what the 'new normal' would be like, so I invited everyone to come to the hall, to stand in the space, to reacquaint themselves with the journey and to talk!

My greatest joy from teaching used to be watching people progress- but since reopening it has been watching the smiles emerge as the music plays (at just the right level to be heard over my 'talking' voice), bodies relax, and shoulders return to their natural position. We can't get close, so friendships are rekindled by getting close enough to imagine a hug, dancing the 2m distance dance. Eyes meet with a twinkle, and happiness replaces anxiety.

I couldn't jump in with a whole new class, so I returned with old favourites and giving people time to tell their Lockdown story. As the first hour progressed everyone became more willing to venture off their spot, a small step to the right then the left and before the end of the second verse of the tune everyone was swinging and swaying and clapping.

It is a baby step towards the new normal, but it is a step- and I could not have done it without the support of my governing bodies and the Sport and Recreation Alliance, Sport England and CIMPSA.

As we now return to our halls, and add up the social, physical and mental impact of Lockdown we should remember the people who opened up the physical activity sector- struggling with guidance late into the weekends, as without them we would not be 'dancing’.

In order to get back into the community halls we had to wait for the Government Guidance to allow dance and exercise to happen- and then for it to be a permitted activity in community halls. Dance fitness, as an activity was initially allowed in gyms and leisure centres- but not in community halls- there was a lag of several days when gyms could open but we could not. There was also the complication of music - it can not be so loud you have to shout (to prevent the spread of airborne particles) so halls were not allowing activities with music. BUT- some halls are not yet open as they do not have the staff to do all the necessary cleaning etc.

Before we could return to teaching, the venue management had to calculate the total square foot area of the whole venue and divide that by 100 - to give the maximum number of people permitted in the whole building. Something to do with ventilation and airflow.

The venue will have its own health and safety guidelines which the hall users will follow - this includes having someone to meet people at the front door, signing in and out and following a one way system throughout the building. It also includes allowing at least 10 minutes between classes to air the room and at least 30- 45minutes between different hall users. You need this to clean!

Then, we had look at the room being used, and measure out how many people we could fit in maintaining 2m distance between them (or 3 metres for some dance fitness classes). The Government guidance recommends gyms and dance studios lay a grid of 2m x2m with temporary tape- but not all halls can do that.

So, a hall that used to have 20-25 people in an exercise class can now only have 12-15 - but we are paying the same hall hire- but income in half. Some rooms are no longer viable as they can only hold 5 or 6 and that doesn’t cover the hall hire.

On top of this- you can not dance in some else’s air space- so ballet, tap etc and ballroom have to consider how they dance around the room. In fact, ballroom isn’t back as you can not be within 2m of anyone you do not live with! Many ballroom classes have closed - a social as well as physical and mental loss to so many who dance for all sorts of reasons- including competition!

Then…we have to ensure the class is COVID secure which means we have to clean all surfaces that might be touched- door handles, touch plates, light switches, toilet doors etc. and if we are a ’sweaty activity’ we have to clean the floor! If chairs are used they have to be cleaned before and after use - and it has been advised that we do not use a floor with carpet as it can not be cleaned. We have to make sure people do not linger or chat- and have fresh air circulating in the hall - windows/doors open! If we use any apparatus or props then they have to be ‘COVID' cleaned before each person- is wiped with a wipe, washed and /or put into quarantine for 72 hours.

Face coverings? We wear those as we move through the building but not for exercise- as they can make exercise difficult and dangerous. Like swimming- you have to arrive ready to dance as there are no changing rooms. The toilets are one in and one out- and the kitchens are not open as they are a possible place to congregate. So, once we have done all of this- we get the people in the class- they have to be are they are COVID free- if anyone in their household or bubble is waiting for a test result they cannot come to class. Fortunately, we teachers have weekly registers so we have all the GDPR compliant information for Track and Trace.

Then…once we have done all of this- we can teach our class and welcome back smiles and rekindle friendships as well as feeling better energised and mobile!

December 2020